More Than They Seem
by drgn grl
Summary: Based during the three year period of Riki being Iason's Pet, one community of people maintain that their hair color shouldn't dictate how people think of them.
1. The Art Show

**I don't own Ai no Kasabi. If I did, I'd be actually publishing this instead of posting it as a fanfiction. Thanks to Kira Takenouchi for providing the inspiration for the background. For more info, see the A/N at the end of the chapter.**

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These auctions held so many treasures. Blondies were known collectors, and they tended to hoard whatever they liked. Occasionally one would change his tastes and sell whatever he had collected, or one would die, and the heir didn't like the same things, and on rare occasions, some Blondies would get together and decide to donate some of their collection to an auction. Bobby wasn't sure which one this was, but the Blondies and their pets seemed to be enjoying themselves, the masters putting in bids on the consoles in front of the artworks. Bobby liked attending the auctions, but he always felt uncomfortable going by himself. So many important Blondies with their pets attended. It was like showing up to a dance alone. So not kosher, and pretty pathetic in his book. Luckily, it didn't take much convincing to get Romulus to attend with him. It was hard to say the phrase 'rare art works for sale' without his disappearing almost instantly to find them. It also didn't hurt that Romulus was his boyfriend.

He let Romulus drift off to inspect the ancient Norse and Roman treasures for authenticity, and Bobby drifted towards his passion, the paintings. He scuffed his shoes on the floor slightly as he walked, fingerless-gloved hands shoved into the pockets of his black skinny jeans, a design he had managed to find at a discount store where out-dated clothes were sold. They had gone out of fashion centuries ago, but Bobby instantly fell in love with them and had duplicated them several times over for his own use. Besides, they were perfect for his skinny frame and shorter stature at just over five foot. The Blondies around him seemed to tower over the young man at six feet tall or better. He wore a black short-sleeved shirt over a long-sleeved white one, and an auburn colored matching hat and scarf set. The hat covered his hair entirely, and the scarf was wrapped twice around his neck and still dangled to his waist on either end.

The paintings he passed were from more contemporary artists, none of which were more than a century old. He gave a sigh. The paints from the past century were horrible, in his opinion. They never seemed to age, and they were always bright. Real paints faded with age, cracking and showing the passage of time. Yellows were always the first to go in the sun, and then reds and blues. You could tell the old paintings by how faded the paint was. Mineral pigments were the best, though. They hardly faded at all, but after all these centuries since they were used, it was hard to find any painting with them still used. He was about to leave when one painting caught his eye. Two men lying on a beach, the waves rolling up around them. They were the Blondies Ios and Erphanes, the twins who had killed themselves on the beach instead of renouncing their love for each other. He could see the vial of poison clasped in Erphanes' hand as the man looked down at his brother, just having finished the last act of love they would ever share. At first, Bobby felt his anger flare. The story of Ios and Erphanes was nothing more than a clever re-telling of Romulus and Remus with a more poetic ending, and the thought of it being Romulus and Remus made him intensely jealous. Romulus was _his_, not Remus'. All he could think about as he looked at the painting was how the Elder Muses had caved to Romulus', Muse of Greed's, plea over a thousand years ago to have his brother back for the rest of the natural life that he, Romulus had taken away almost three thousand years before that. The Elder Muses had brought Remus back to life, and Remus had instantly claimed the younger twin as his lover again, despite Romulus having promised Bobby that nothing between he and Bobby would change. If it hadn't have destroyed Romulus emotionally and brought the punishment of death down on himself from the Elder Muses, Bobby would have killed Remus again simply out of jealousy. Instead, the Emos of that century had thrived as the Muse of Emo suffered a crushing despair in his room over being abandoned. After Remus had died of old age, however, Romulus had meekly returned to his other lover. Bobby had immediately taken him back, despite the pain he had caused. He loved the older Muse too much to have said no.

As the initial anger and jealousy passed, Bobby couldn't help smiling softly and walking towards it to get a better look at the detail. This was art. It evoked an emotional response. The abstract and most of the inanimate objects weren't really art. They were a show of technique. To make someone love, hate, or aspire, that was the work of art, to make people feel emotion.

After a few moments of his standing in front of the painting, unmoving, staring at it, a Blondie came to stand next to him, looking up at the painting with a slightly proud smile. "What do you think of it?" he asked quietly. He could only have been the painter, Raoul Am.

"I hate it," Bobby replied with a soft smile. The Blondie started slightly. "I hate the subject matter and the memories it brings up. And that makes it a fantastic piece of art."

"It's a great work of art because you hate it?"

"Exactly. Art is supposed to elicit emotions, and that is what this one does. Don't get me wrong. The brushwork is amazing as well. The sky in the background uses Monet's technique of blurring the lines between the shades, making it seem fuzzy. But the ocean uses Van Gogh's swirling technique, which works wonders making the water seem to move. Ios and Erphanes have the clarity and skill of one of Hendrick ter Brugghen's masterpieces, though. It successfully blends the styles of several different Impressionist painters, yet works on a new dimension all together, superseding what each painter did alone in style." Raoul seemed stunned for a moment by the praise, so Bobby continued without much pause. "The painting's a little heavy-handed in places, though. Like here, in the ocean, that part of the sky and sand, and there in Ios' hair. Next time, try using Tempera or oil paints. Also, the twins were much more tan in real life. They loved being out in the sun."

Bobby gave the Blondie a smile and turned, walking back to the waiting Romulus. Raoul watched the twenty-two year old with a bit of pride. He certainly knew his art. Even if he hadn't liked it, he had given Raoul great praise, comparing him to artists like Van Gogh and Monet. It was a shame he hadn't bought it, but he wasn't prepared to let it go before Iason Mink had a chance to see it, anyways.

The great Blondie was given one more shock, however, when Romulus removed the young man's hat to ruffle his hair before Bobby could steal the hat back to shove it back on with a cute blush. Bobby was nothing more than a black-haired mongrel.

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**A/N: **_So, I decided to start something I have been thinking about for a while. I've come across several Muses that have inspired various writers on FF to write, and yes, I mean the mystical Muses from the days of yore. It turns out, the Nine Elder Muses from Greek and Roman legends decided to take a step back several millenium ago, and they started turning humans with a talent in a certain area into Muses, giving them the job of writing the people's stories and aspiring writers to write. The newer Muses are from all different years and centuries, added to the Muses' ranks as they reach various points in their lives. I haven't decided yet if this is going to be a continuous story or snapshots of various times when the Muses appear in the Ai no Kasabi world, or a combination of the two. Mostly I'm placing this during the missing three years when Riki was Iason's Pet. And I'm also crediting Kira Takenouchi with the basis for these three years, from her website wwwDOTshadowessDOTcom/slashfiction/viewuserDOTphp?uid=240. Just replace the DOTs with actual dots. _

_I'm also offering a challenge to anyone who thinks they can do it, write a story with the Muses in them! I'd love to see some, so if you do, make sure to message me about it, PLEASE!_

_Only a very few rules about the Muses you must know first: 1) Death is the ONLY Muse allowed to kill anyone, and he/she is more of the creepy sociopath no one wants to run into. No one is even sure which gender Death is. 2) Muses always have to answer to the Elder Muses if they break the rules, and the Elder Muses send 'enforcers' to bring the Muses to them. 3) Once a Muses decides he/she doesn't want to be a Muse anymore, they have the option to become human again and live out the rest of their natural life, but they can never be a Muse again, but more often than not, the Muse will kill him/herself out of depression, thus ending their time as a Muse. 4) Protect the heart at all costs. Destroying the heart is the only way to kill a Muse. Just don't tell anyone that. and 5) Only one Muse is designated per office at any one time. The ones I know of are as follows, with the year they became the Muse: Romulus-Greed-circa BC 750, Hersilia-Envy-circa BC 740, Maeko-Truth-circa BC 70, Amor-Love-circa 59 AD, Jesse-Lust-circa 84 AD, Jaron-Music-circa 900 AD, Alvita-Tragedy-circa 1100 AD, Dustin-Adventure-circa 1400s, Sebastian-Cruelty-circa 1400s, and Bobby-Emo-1950s._

_There are many more Muses, and there are different Muses before and after each of the ones listed. However, they currently hold these positions in the year 2010. If you want to change who's in a certain office, feel free to place it after 2010 or before they were made a Muse in their respective year. The Muses get grumpy if you change them around otherwise, and I really don't want to hear them complaining during my classes... ^^' Have fun!_


	2. Public Discipline

**Warning: this chapter contains Pet dicipline.**

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"Did you find anything of interest, love?" Romulus asked gently, chuckling at the boy's blush. He was adorable when he blushed. For the day, Romulus had taken the form of Cato, the long-dead father of the Muse of Love and one of countless shape-shifting forms he had acquired over the millennium as Greed. His body was tall and muscular, and his golden blond hair was pulled back in a low ponytail with a few unrestrained locks falling in the Muse's own bright emerald eyes, instead of Cato's gold eyes. His clothing clung to his body, following the contours of his muscles, and his arms were bare to shamelessly show off the scars Cato had acquired in life as a soldier of ancient Rome. "I saw you speaking to him about the painting." His eyes went to the image of Ios and Erphanes, then away in guilt and shame. A thousand years later, and he still found it difficult to forgive himself for abandoning Bobby, even if it was to let his twin enjoy his second chance at life.

"No," the young man smiled. "I was just telling him I hated it. Good techniques, but he's too heavy-handed in places and the twins were much more tan in real life. His was the only real piece of art in the paintings, though, but at two million credits, I wouldn't want you to waste your bank account. I know it would probably only go into storage in one of your houses, anyways."

"You should be a critic, love. You'd break a lotta hearts and crush a lotta dreams." Romulus chuckled and slipped an arm around the dark-haired boy's waist. "Most of what I found was faked. The only interesting real thing was a Norse dagger that, if I remember right, belonged to one of Cato's servants."

"Yeah, like anyone would listen to me. So, most of it was twenty and twenty-first century reproductions? I guess Jesse must have managed to snatch up most of the real stuff back then." He paused, thinking a moment. "His name was Vali, wasn't it? I think I remember you mentioning him before."

"Jesse has most of the Norse artifacts, and I have a large collection of Roman objects myself. Ion has a few as well." The Roman gave a disgusted glare at the fake ancient objects the others tried to pass as real. "And yes, it was Vali. I think I mentioned how I punched him in the face for trying to mess with Ion near the end of his human life."

"Really? I don't remember that story..."

Bobby glanced curiously at the only other raven-haired youth in the entire building. He was chained to the wrist of the most illustrious Blondie in all of Tanagura, Iason Mink. The raven-haired Pet seemed drawn to the ancient-styled objects, and that made Bobby smile softly. Romulus' gaze followed Bobby's and he was quick to blink away the glow that gathered there. Iason's pet was handsome enough to make his Greed want him, but his grip on Bobby tightened, reminding him of the amazing lover he already had.

"I could've sworn that's when I mentioned him. Good man, up to that point." Bobby in a collar with a leash...That was a good enough thought to turn his mind away from Riki.

"Do you want me to take off my hat and scarf?" Bobby asked sweetly but quietly. "My collar and cuffs are still on today...I just wanted a bit of freedom to talk like a normal person for a bit..."

"Only if you want to, love. I want to show you off, but whether it be as a lover or a pet, that's up to you." He leaned down to brush his lips against the smaller man's ear, the hand on his waist pulling him closer possessively.

Bobby's smile broadened as he felt the familiar shiver run down his spine. "Either way is fine. It might be interesting to see people's reactions when they realize they were talking to a mongrel...And you know I'd have to get punished if I spoke out too much." Romulus wasn't the only one who enjoyed their punishment sessions.

"In that case..." There was a quiet click as a chain connected to the collar around Bobby's neck, and his hat and scarf were torn from his body. "What's the matter, _pet? _Are you so ashamed that you'd try to hide your status?" It was arousing to feel such power over the boy. Even more so with the knowledge that Bobby loved it just as much as he himself did. A deep blush spread across Bobby's face as he lowered his eyes submissively. He could feel the eyes of the Blondies and their pets on him.

"No, Master...I was just feeling cold..."

Rom scoffed. "Cold? You were probably trying to seduce some unsuspecting man." He grabbed his chin tightly, forcing him to raise his head and look him in the eye as he growled. " You're a pet. Make sure people know just whoyou belong to."

"Yes, Master..." he whimpered, shrinking back a bit. "I'm sorry..."

Romulus let go of the young man's chin with a smirk and ran his fingertips through his hair. "That's my good pet...You'll face your punishment when we return home."

"Yes, Master..." he whispered, meekly folding his hands behind his back and lowering his eyes again. He felt a smile tug at his lips, though he tried to keep his face neutral. Bobby wondered what his Master had in mind this time: the chains again, or the taming stick, or, if he was lucky, the whip this time...

"Unless, of course, there's someone here who would like the pleasure of punishing him for me..." the Roman purred, green eyes narrowed and lips tugged up in a smirk as he looked around at the surrounding Blondies and pets. "Public punishment always teaches a better lesson than in private. The humiliation, the exposure...It all helps to get the point across to bad pets."

"Master, no..." he whimpered, shrinking back more. "I'll be good...please, no..."

"Should I show my pet some mercy...?" he chuckled, turning his emerald eyes back to his lover and tugging sharply on his chain. Bobby whimpered again as the other Blondies watched, waiting to see what Romulus would do. "I could let you go...But I think you need a lesson. Being beat by the Master you're apparently ashamed of being seen with..." He tugged him closer and forced him down onto his knees, tugging the Muse's shirt up and his pants down as he slid a whip from his belt. "Does anyone have any objections to this pet's punishment?"

He cast a look out to the Blondies, smirk spreading to a cruel smile as he cracked the whip against the ground. None of the other Blondies made a move to stop him, rather seeming to enjoy the punishment and their own Pets discomfort at having to witness another Pet's punishment, and with a whip at that. Bobby trembled, hoping that the others would think it from fear, rather than excitement.

"Looks like no one's on your side, my disobedient pet..." He chuckled and raised the whip, cracking it down on the boy's back.

Bobby let out a yell as the pain pierced his body. He loved it. Romulus brought the whip down on him fourteen more times on his back, ass, and thighs, not holding back as he struck. Bobby was trembling by the time he was done, and the young man's eyes were closed tight, whimpers escaping his throat. The other Pets couldn't stand to watch any more, and they were just glad their Masters were not so harsh.

The Blondie tucked the whip back into his belt at fifteen. "Have you learned your lesson?"

"Y-yes, Master..." he whimpered submissively.

"Get up." he ordered, voice and eyes cold, while inside he worried. Had he been too harsh...? Bobby got up slowly, pulling up his pants as he did so, but kept his eyes on the ground submissively. He licked his lips almost imperceivably. Romulus relaxed slightly as he caught sight of Bobby's tongue. He was okay...He ran his calloused hand through Bobby's hair, ruffling it. "That's Master's good boy..."

Bobby gave a small, pleased sound and lightly tilted his head into the older man's hand. "I'll be good, Master..." He licked his lips slightly again. He'd be real good...

He grinned at the noise, scratching behind his ear while his eyes drifted over the crowd. The Pets all looked scared, as if he was the devil himself. The evil smirk returned to his face, just for fun it. The rest of the Pets all shifted behind their Masters a bit more, almost in unison. Iason Mink and Riki, however, had mad their way back towards the paintings some time ago and had missed the display.

The Roman man chuckled lowly, ruffling Bobby's hair and gently tugging his chain to pull him closer. "Would you like to see anything else here, my Bobby...?"

"No, Master... Oh, what about the dagger? Did you buy it, Master?"

"Hm? Ah. Yes, I bought it. I couldn't resist something that holds so much value in memories..."

"Then I can see that one later...I didn't really like anything this time, Master..."

"Alright, my Pet. Perhaps you'll find something at the next one." He set his arm on the young man's back. "Shall we return home...?"

"Yes, Master..." Bobby smiled softly again as another shiver went down his spine. He liked having Romulus' arm around him. It was one of the things he had really missed when Remus was around. Romulus smiled softly and guided him through the crowd, keeping him possessively and protectively close. Once they had reached some level of privacy outside the building, Bobby moved closer with a smile.

"Lesson learned..." he whispered. "Anger Master somewhere more private so I can get off on it..."

Romulus laughed lowly, patting the young man's rear. "Would you like me to repeat the lesson when we get home?" Rom winked and pinched his rear.

"Will I be tied down, too?" he asked hopefully.

"With cuffs and chains. Maybe I'll light up a few cigarettes or kreteks, just so I can put them out on your skin..." He looked around to make sure everything was clear, then took him into a dark area where not even a camera would be able to catch them, and vanished, Bobby practically giddy with excitement.

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_A/N: Hey, guys! Any reviews would be totally welcome!_


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